Tractor-Trailer hits telephone pole in Plains

PLAINS – Afternoon traffic on Montana Highway 200 near the entrance of Kruger Road was slowed down by a traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer hauling a large load and a telephone pole late Thursday afternoon.

Occurring around 5 p.m. the collision happened when the truck took the right turn onto the side road and winged a telephone pole as it made its way onto Kruger Road from Highway 200.  

The collision did not cause the telephone poll to fall over and all wires were still attached to the nearby poles when emergency responders reached the scene.

Incident Commander Marlin Cooper, from the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department explained emergency crews were waiting for the power to be shut off before they moved the truck away from the telephone pole.

“They are going to shut the power off before we go and move this thing out of here,” Cooper said.

Cooper believed the telephone pole would remain upright once the truck was removed and the primary concern was the telephone wires holding.

A crew from NorthWestern Energy was on scene shortly following local emergency services and they shut the power off and ensured the power flow was ground before further actions were taken.

“As long as the wires hold it won’t be too difficult,” Cooper said.

The incident commander continued the most difficult part would be moving the semi-truck itself as the vehicle was somewhat stuck.

Following the collision it appears the tires on the large truck had dug into the gravel on the side of Kruger Road.

“The hard part is the truck is stuck in the asphalt,” Cooper said.

Cooper believed the plan was to use planks and a generator or power plant to raise the truck and drive it away from the crash site.

Following the incident most of the truck was situated on Kruger Road but the back portion of the vehicle was sticking out into Highway 200.

Due to the crashed vehicle’s position, first responders set up flaggers on each side of the incident to create safe traffic conditions around the crash site.

“The biggest rush was to get here before another accident occurred,” Cooper said.

Cooper added safety was the biggest concern.

Once the emergency crews got word the power was off the plan was to begin the process of moving the large vehicle.

“Now we can manage traffic, take our time and do this safely,” Cooper said.

The Sanders County Sheriff’s Department, Montana Highway Patrol and a crew from the DNRC, who were on hand in case the incident sparked a grass fire, joined Plains-Paradise Rural Fire on the scene.

Traffic began flowing with the assistance of a traffic team shortly after emergency crews secured the area.